es the sand is in drifts,
and no two horses would ever pull a wagon through it. This hard ridge,
which is more rock than sand, goes straight south to Badger Springs,
the only place to get water. I was there once, three years ago."

"You've hit it, old man," exclaimed the other confidently. "That's
exactly how I had it doped out. He'd have to use that swale, or go ten
miles farther east. I never was at Badger myself, but I've travelled
that ridge road some, with my eyes open. Then, I take it, that our
course is already laid out pretty straight as far as them springs.
Beyond there the general lay of the land may help us, and I aim to
reach that point along about daylight. Accordin' to Miss La Rue--she's
that blond female I seen at the hotel, ain't she--Cassady was expected
to reach this place where Mendez is about dawn, if he had to kill his
hoss to do it. That would mean some considerable of a ride, I reckon."

"And yet," put in Westcott, with increasing interest, "would seem
naturally to limit the spot to within a radius of ten miles from Badger
Springs."

"Likely enough--yes; either south, southeast, or southwest; what sort
o' country is it?"

"Absolutely barren; a desolate waste as far as the eye can see, except
that range of mountains away to the south, fifty miles or more off. It
would be a dead level, except for the sand-hills; that's all the memory
I've got of it."

"Well, thar's allers some landmark to a trail, an' I used ter be a
pretty fair tracker. Speed yer hoss up a bit, Jim; we've got to ride
faster than this."

"How about the note she gave you?"

"We'll wait a while to read that. I don't want to strike no light just
yet. Maybe it had best be kept till daybreak."

The men rode steadily, and mostly in silence, a large part of the way
side by side. The animals they bestrode were fairly mated, quite
capable of maintaining their gait for several hours, and needing little
urging. The night air was cool, and a rather stiff breeze swept over
the wide extent of desert, occasionally hurling spits of loosened sand
into their faces, and causing them to ride with lowered heads. The
night gloom enveloped them completely; their strained eyes were
scarcely able to trace the dim outlines of the ridge road, but the
horses were desert broke, and held closely to the beaten track, Before
they arrived at the lone cottonwood, Westcott's pony, which carried by
far the heavier load, began to show signs of